St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-06
WALKING ON THE WATER.

to fall overheard. even in fair weather. The
inability of sailors to swim IS proverblal.
and many Jack Tar. who is washed
from the deck, or falls from the jib-boom,
oses his life only because he cannot keep
himself ahoat while boat is being lowered.
An exception to the rule is the champion
swimmer of the world, Anguste SundStrom,
instructor for the New York Athletic club.
who Is A sailor and sailors son. His feat
of swimming from the Battery to the club
boathouse on the Harlem, a distance of
seventeen miles, in , hours and ~ minutes
with the tide. has never been eQualed. and
his time for Il mile in dead water, II mln-
uteS and 40 seconds is the best on record.
Mr.. Sundstrom. who is now but IS wears
Did. says: Il learned TO swim when | was
too small 10 do anything else, and being in
The water nearly all the time | became al
most am1hibUuS 1t is much easier for one
To learn the art when young than when one
has grown up, and you will find that
the best swimmers are those who have
been familiar with the water from child
hood. My father. q Swedish master mar
iner. was powerful man, although an
ordinary swimmer, and he gave all his boys
strong constitutions and plenty of muscle.
Without the muscle, one cannot swim well,
because swimming IS really violent ath-
lete exercise, and the movements are so
rapid and vigorous that great endurance is
required to swim long distances at any
speed. No doubt the continued exercise |
had when a boy accounts for much of the
DEVELOPMENT of muscle and lung power
that now enables me to remain long in the
water. and am convinced that swimming
is one Of the most beneficial athletic sports,
Judging from my own experience. During
some seven years of knocking about the
world on board ship, first as boy and later
as second mate Of a square-rgge | saw
many different styles of swimming
among natives of various islands and
coast countries. and picked up some
points that have proved useful. At st.
Thomas | went into race with about fifty
native sponge divers being backed by my
captain to swim five miles against them.
When those black fellows started off with
their overland, half-arm stroke. they went
like flying fish. and [ was so astonished at
their speed that forgot to plunge from the
rail after them until the captain gave me
push. For Il short distance they could
make great speed. reaching out one arm
after the other in front of them and kicking
alternately with the feet. but the movement
was so quick that they soon tired, and with
iOlS Side-Sllohe SWAIN tHIouSH Tie
whole school of them and beat them easily.
The old-fashioncd and cOmmoneSt style
Of swimming is the breast stroke. which is
an exact imitation Of Il frog. 1t is easy but
not very fast, because the body and legs
slope downward. and present so much sur
lace to the water ahead that the resistance
IS great. The power is obtained mainly
from the action OF the legs. The knees are
drawn up slowly and gently, not under the
body but sdewise, and when the kick is
made they are opened like letter V, and
the Soles of the feet presented squarely to
the water. AS the arms are shot out
ahead palms of the hands downward, the
legs are brought sharply and strongly to-
gether, like the closing of a pair of
shears. which gives propulsion from the
whole inner surface of each leg. The in